Yala Student files Charges against Army, Defense Ministry

A student activist from Rajabhat Institute of Yala on Wednesday file charges against the Army and the Defense Ministry, accusing them of torture during his detention last year.

Isma-ae Teh, 23, is demanding Bt1.736 million, including 7.5 per cent, citing emotional distress and physical injuries inflected upon him by his captures.

Isma-ae told the court he was detained on January 27, 2008 by a group of paramilitary Rangers Task Force 11, who snatched him from his residence in Yala province.

Isma-ae told the court that the Rangers also raided his home and confiscated his computers and other documents pertaining to human rights education.

He said he was detained at the Inkayuthborian army camp in Pattani province from January 27 to February 4, 2008, during which he was tortured and kept incommunicado.

Isma-ae was denied legal counselling and was not aware of his rigths.

He said he was repeated beaten with stick that was wrapped with cloth until he passed out. His captured would pour cold water on him to wake him up. They wanted him to confess that he was part of an insurgency behind the daily violence in the region, he said.

Isma-ae said the treatment employed against him not only violated UN human rights conventions against torture, to which Thailand is a signatory, as well as the Constitution of the country.

The criminal civil court accepted the charges and waved the filing fee after deeming that he and his family could not afford to pay for it.

The court will hear the plaintiff on March 30, 2009, at 09.00 am.

The Nation 21 Jan 2009: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/01/21/national/national_30093828.php